When the new owners of this beautiful wood-clad home decided they needed to update and add a bit more space to the house, who better to renovate it than the architects who designed the original? Re-enter, New York-based Bates Masi + Architects, who worked out a plan to enlarge the kitchen and dining areas, modernize the bathrooms, and refinish the floors, walls and counter tops. Materials and wood from the house were kept and re-used in the renovation, minimizing the need for new materials.

Bates Masi + Architects designed the house 35 years ago as a vacation home in Amagansett, Long Island. The home was almost exclusively constructed with 12-inch wide cypress clapboards. It included floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors and some brick interior work. The look and feel of the materials created a simple and clean aesthetic reminiscent of old cabins standing in the woods for decades.

The new owners wanted to remain loyal to the original design intentions, but still wanted to find a way to expand the home so that it would suit their needs. Rather than buying new materials, the architects salvaged the cypress wood from the South wall and deck to expand and rebuild the new extension. Original wood was reused for the new siding, stair treads, scrim material, and risers. This allowed the exterior of the house to retain its original patina, which could have never been achieved with brand new materials — making it difficult to tell where the new begins and the old ends.

The renovation expanded and updated all of the bathrooms with new fixtures and revamped counter tops. The kitchen and dining terrace were also modernized and enlarged. Dense, glacial sedimentary sandstone is used as counter top material, with rough and polished finishes, throughout the house.

The home recently won the 2008 Peconic Honor Award for Architecture/Renovations & Additions. The Re-Cover House will also be showcased in Dwell’s upcoming April edition. We love that this house has retained its original character, and required very little new material to do so. The owners are happier with their additional square footage and modern updates, and no trees were sacrificed in the upgrade of this house.